MP backs campaign to tackle global hunger

STALYBRIDGE and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds has backed the launch of a campaign that aims to end hunger across the world.

The ‘Enough Food for Everyone If. . .’ campaign highlights the scandal of children growing up hungry in a world where there is enough food for everyone – and it challenges the Government to act on the four challenges that would ensure there was enough food for everyone.

It brings together a coalition of more than 100 of Britain’s leading development charities and faith groups. And the launch – held in the Palace of Westminster- was attended by more than 70 MPs and Peers, including the Leader of the Opposition Ed Miliband.

MP Mr Reynolds said: “In an age are supermarket shelves are filled with groceries that are routinely transported from one side of the globe to the other, it is a scandal that children in some parts of the world are still dying of hunger.

“The ‘Enough Food for Everyone If. . .’ campaign brings together more than 100 organisations who are all determined to act against this – and I am delighted to be able to support them.”

According to the campaign, there are 937million children and young people whose life chances will be damaged by the impact of childhood hunger by 2025. And it estimates that malnutrition will be costing developing countries £78billion a year in lost economic output by 2030.

The four challenges to the Government at the heart of the campaign are:

· if we stop poor farmers being forced off the ir land, and use the available agricultural land to grow food for people not biofuel for card;

· if governments keep their promises on aid, invest to stop children dying from malnutrition and help the poorest people feed themselves through investment in small farmers;

· if governments close loopholes to stop big companies dodging tax in poor countries, so that millions of people can free themselves from hunger;

· if we force governments and investors to be honest and open about the deals they make in the poorest countries that stop people getting enough food.

Chair of the campaign Ben Jackson said: “We should be proud of the great progress we are making as a world to reduce poverty, but it is still the reality that - in a world where there is enough food for everyone – 1 in 8 people go hungry every day.

“We need concerted effort from governments, civil society and philanthropists to tackle the root causes of this problem and together to ensure that no child has to go hungry.”

More information about the campaign can be found at www.enoughfoodif.org.uk Mr Reynolds is pictured at the event to mark the launch of the campaign with Rushanara Ali, who is MP for Bethnal Green and Bow.